Philippe Falardeau’s 'Monsieur Lazhar' Wins Rotterdam

The Oscar-nominated film wins Rotterdam Festival's UPC audience award; "Egg and Stone," "Thursday Through Sunday," and "Clip" pick up awards as well.

COLOGNE, Germany - Three very different coming-of-age stories - Egg and Stone from Chinese director Huang Ji, Chilean drama Thursday Through Sunday from Dominga Sotomayor and Clip from Serbian helmet Maja Milos - have won the three equal Hivos Tiger Awards at the 41st International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Egg and Stone tells the story of a 14-year-old girl whose parents send her to the Chinese countryside to live with her aunt and uncle so they can work in the city. Thursday Through Sunday is set entirely in and around a spacious Mazda 929 during a Chilean family's four-day road trip. Clip, which also won the Dutch film critics' KNF Award, is the tale of teenagers struggling with the social and sexual identities. Rotterdam's Tiger Competition is for first and second features only.

Monsieur Lazhar from Philippe Falardeau won Rotterdam's UPC audience award. The Canadian comedy about an Algerian immigrant who takes over at an elementary school after a teacher dies tragically, is one of this year's nominees for the best foreign language Oscar.